When in Rome. . .

Today, we had our first whole day in Rome! We visited amazing places such as the Coloseum and Palatine Hill. To get there, we had to ride the subway, just one stop ahead. But, because of a marathon that was going on, we had to wait until the next stop to get off.

Once we were there, we tried hard to avoid all the crowds and distractions, so we could get to the Coloseum quickly. But, it was impossible not to stop and gaze in awe at the magnificent architecture from the outer walls of the amphitheater. Soon, we found our tour guide that was going to show and tell us the history of the building. Her name was Cristiana. She was super nice and lead us through the confusing security and into the Coloseum. Throughout the whole tour, I stared in awe at all the history told with the intricacy and thought put into the different levels. I learned that gladiator fighting that was held in the Coloseum, was not only an entertainment for the people, it was part of their culture, and showed an example of what could happen if you broke the law. I thought the Coloseum was grand and showed the glory of the people in Ancient Rome.

Then, after, we walked to Palatine Hill. Up on the hill, the ruins of a large and beautiful palace stood with pride. The palace included a massive garden, its own small amphitheater, fountains to drink from, and a stunning view of the rest of Ancient Rome with the Forum below. The palace position on the top of the hill showed how the emperor wanted to feel better and richer than all of his subjects because of how it was looking down on the city.

I thought the palace on Palatine Hill fully displayed how rich the city of Ancient Rome was. Over all, this day was filled with facts only the majestic architecture of these famous places can tell about the history of Ancient Rome.